It is easy to see how some IT Managers get caught up in a trap of their own making. You take on staff, train them and then they leave for a better salary got by the training you have paid for.
Interestingly, when talking to an IT Manager at a firm I support recently, he said the exact same thing. He sent on training two members of staff, they got their certificates, and promptly left for a job with more money.
So how do you combat it? Well from my days of an IT Manager, we used to set a time limit or pay back option, so if they left within a certain time, they had to pay back the money for training. Though these days, that wouldn’t be enforceable.
The other way was through the supervision and appraisal schemes, often offering a small pay increase after successful training was completed. This did stem some of them going, as the old adage “Better the Devil (or employer) you know” worked or they were just comfortable in the post there.
Supervision and appraisal has to be more than offering a carrot though. Time and Time again I hear about people being set silly, unreal objectives and targets. Where the whole process is to develop and empower your staff not to stifle, belittle or humiliate them.
Supervision should be:
Informative.
Based on realities.
Give both the Employee and Employer a chance to speak about their concerns.
To set achievable targets and aims
To agree on Training needs
To agree on outcomes and deadlines
Deal with any day-to-day concerns, attendance, work needs etc.
All of these should be done amicably and practically in view of workloads and deadlines.
They should also be carried out frequently, once a month / every 6 weeks of so, as there is no reason to do them more often, unless the staff member is on some form of warning for poor work, lateness etc.
Appraisals should be:
Done may be twice a year.
Be structured and consistent.
Give both the Employee and Employer a time to find out more about each other.
Give longer-term objectives and deadlines.
Deal with pay awards.
A chance for the employee to speak about how he/she feels in the post.
A chance for you to find out how, you as a manager, can help them do their job better.
You should give the employee at least a week to prepare for their supervision or appraisal, no springing it on them at short notice.
Training Offered should be.
Relevant to the post.
Ongoing and structured.
Agreed with the employee as to their development or personal career plans within the company.
If outside this, within the companies plan, i.e. 1st Helpdesk person really wants to work in accounts dept, but needs to learn Sage. Can you as a company help them do this, is it practical etc?
As a Manager, you should be.
Approachable, but not one of the lads / lasses.
Human, able to listen and be objective/constructive.
Supportive & Understanding
Know that person’s roll, how well they perform and their value to you and the company.
Able to lead by example, i.e. never late, never of sick with man flu and able to do your job well.
Willing to take your coat of and get dirty when it needs to be done.
If you have to do any of the above by losing your temper, then sorry, you are in the wrong job. There is one thing I learned from Negotiation Skill Training, the Understand, See and Agreement phase. i.e. I understand what you are saying, but can you see this point of view and so can we agree on this solution. You can remain calm if you use this approach and it does work believe me.
Quick scenario.
Staff: I want a pay rise!
Manager: I understand that, but there is nothing left in the budget, so if I pay you more, can you see that I would have to let someone else go? And that would make your job harder.
Staff: I understand that, but from my point of view, I do a lot more than Joe Bloggs, and really need the money.
Manager: Yes, I see that Joe isn’t as adaptable as you are, so how about this, I can offer you an extra day holiday a year?
Staff: The extra day leave isn’t going to help; I need to earn more money really.
Manager: Yes, I understand that, but with no overtime, and a tight company budget for wages, there is not much I can do right now.
Staff: I understand that, but I have to increase my take home pay, is there really nothing you can do?
Manager: Well the only thing I have in the budgets to play with is the Training fund, how about I send you on a training course, that way when the pay reviews come round, or a promotion, you would stand a better chance of getting a pay rise that way.
Staff: It’s not what I wanted, but sounds OK, and I also really wanted to do MCSE training, so OK, I’ll agree to that.
Manager: OK, we agree on that then, I will sort out the training to start next month.
Using terms like, I understand, I can see your point and can we agree on this helps, it shows you are listening and are human. Sounds really silly I know, but it works, and I have used that same technique time and time again.
When I worked as an IT Manager for a local NHS, the IT support team went from just 3 to 21 people and in 9 years we only lost one member of staff (due to pregnancy). Not many companies can say their staff turn over was that low.
We took on mostly college leavers or older people with a passion for IT and in two years they all had their MCSE’s and/or other related IT qualifications, but didn’t leave. With Supervisions every 6 weeks and appraisals every 6 months, the work force were happy but had personal targets and aims to achieve. My Aim there was to set two or three easy things they could do now, and one or two harder things that would roll over to the next supervision. This kept them focused, with a sense of achievement and something to work for. Yes, an NHS salary and pension helped retain staff, but when you saw that the same roll at Morgan – Stanley – Whitter was 3k a year more, and only 1 mile away from our offices, and offered cheap mortgages and finance to their staff, our staff stayed because they felt valued and listened to.
Last point.
This is about Chinese whispers, as a manager you have to play some things close to your chest, and others you can speak about straight away. A simple ‘Heads Up’ to the staff is more than just letting them know they are trusted. However, if you have some bad news to relay do not let the idle gossip ruin your team, nip in the bud as soon as it happens. An honest approach may not mean revealing all the truth; it’s better than saying nothing at all.
One firm I worked for was planning a move up North, complete company relocation. Staff got wind of this, and for many it meant redundancy. I said the simple line of “when you see the removal vans arrive, and desks being pack on them, then it’s time to start to worry”. In the end, the move never happened, the cost was too great and the firm is still here in Bournemouth 15 years later and many of the same staff are still there. Job done!
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